Political Scenario of the Deccan (till 1527)

Transcription

1 Chapter 3 Political Scenario of the Deccan (till 1527) A. The pre-bahmani period ( ) At the close of thirteenth century, Deccan was divided among three kingdoms: the Yadavas of Devagiri ( ), the Kakatiyas of Warangal ( ) and the Hoysalas of Dwarsamudra ( ). The Yadava ruler Ramachandra (r ) and his southern and eastern neighbours Prataprudradeva of Warangal and Ballala III of Dwarsamudra were often at war with each other and were blissfully unconcerned with the rising might of Khaljis in the north. Although subjugation of the South had been an ambition of the northern powers,' it was left for Ala-ud-din Khalji to first penetrate and subdue these kingdoms. Prior to his campaigns, Muslims were not an important element in the politics of Deccan, though they remained a significant factor in trading activities and Arab trading colonies dotted the coastal region from Thana, to Bhatkal (in the western coast) and to the further south. Besides Muslim missionaries and Sufi saints settled at various places in these kingdoms and attracted devotees even ' See H. K. Sherwani and P. M. Joshi, (eds.) History of Medieval Deccan: (Hyderabad, 1974), vol.l, pp

2 before the political annexation of the region began. Many were converted to Islam through moral suasion of the Sufis or proselytising work of missionaries. The religious men came in Deccan from Dabhol, Bhatkal and other ports, while some moved from North India to settle in eastern Maharashtra and Tilangana region. The first adventure south of the Narmada was made by Ala-ud-din Khalji, prior to his accession in Being an ambitious and aggressive ruler, Ala-ud-din turned his attention to the Hindu kingdoms for acquiring money, the first requisite for his ambitious plans. Thus a successful surprise attack on Devagiri in 1296 made his political position strong and also strengthened his chances for the throne. The lightening raids and absence of a portion of Yadava army under Prince Singhana, proved disastrous for the raja and resulted in his submission. The Yadava kingdom became a tributary of Delhi Sultanate and was forced to mak<j annual payments, though they pretended to stay independent.^ After subduing the entire north, Ala-ud-din once again turned attention towards the Deccan and the far South. Earlier a campaign in ' Ferishta records, 'six hundred niaunds of pearls, two maunds of diamonds, rubbies, emeralds and sapphires, one thousand maunds of silver, four thousand pieces of silt;', in the list of booty. Abul Qasim Ferishta, Tarikh-i-Ferishta, (English Trans.) John Briggs, The Rise of Mahomedan Power in India (Delhi, 2006), vol. 1, p,

3 against the Kakatiyas of Warangal had failed and the Yadavas had stopped sending the tribute. In , Ala-ud-din planned another campaign against Devagiri and Malik Kafur was ordered to march against the Yadava capital. Prince Singhana fled from the battlefield, while his father Ramchandra was taken to Delhi and treated generously, was given the title of Ray-i-rayan and was sent back to occupy the throne of Devagiri on the condition that he would remain loyal.'' Prof H. K. Sherwani rightly remarks, 'by his diplomacy and generous treatment, Ala-ud-din had secured the loyalty of Ramdeva and he could now once again turn his attention to Warangal which has frustrated his earlier attempt at conquest.''' In the Warangal expedition of 1309, Ramdeva rendered full assistance to the Sultan's army. In 1309, Ala-ud-din sent Malik Kafur on an expedition against Warangal. The siege was sufficiently prolonged and forced Prataprudradeva to come to terms with the Delhi forces.^ Malik Kafur imposed severe terms on Prataprudra who had to give large number of horses, elephants, gold and valuable articles. He also had to agree to ^ H. K. Sherwani and P. M. Joshi (eds.), History of Medieval Deccan, vol. 1, pp. 44 "ibid., vol.], pp ' Mahdi Husain, The Rise and Fall of Muhammad bin Tughluq (London, 1938), pp

4 send an annual tribute in cash and elephants to the Sultan.^ In 1310, Kafur returned to the capital with enormous booty and was welcomed at Delhi. With the Kaktiyas of Warangal and Yadavas of Devagiri subdued, next came the turn of Hoysala kingdom of Dwarsamudra and the Pandyas of Mudurai. In this campaign also, Ramachandra extended full support to Malik Kafur as his own relations with Hoysala ruler Ballala III were not cordial. In 1311, Dwarasamudra was besieged and was soon occupied by Malik Kafur. Ballala III sued for peace and agreed to pay an annual tribute. Kafur next turned attention towards the Pandya kingdom, where a civil war had ensued after the murder of Kulasekhara Pandya (d. 1310). The main contending parties were his sons Vira Pandya and Sundar Pandya. Malik Kafur first marched to Viradhavalam, the capital of Vira Pandya, who fled for the open country. Kafur then invaded Madurai, the capital of Sundar Pandya. Although the Madurai campaign was not completely successful, Malik Kafur succeeded in amassing huge wealth from the temples of Srirangam and Chidambaram. Amir Khusrau estimated that some 500 mam of Isami, Futuh-us-salatirt, (English Trans.) Agha Mahdi Husain (Aligarh, ), vol. 2, pp

5 precious stones, diamonds, pearls, rubies and other jewels were seized. On Kafur's return to Delhi in 1311, he was given a royal reception and the wealth was displayed. The Hoysala prince (Ballala's son) who arrived in Delhi as a hostage was treated with kindness and was sent back after a year. Till this period, the policy of Delhi suhans towards Deccan aimed at raiding and plundering the treasure-cities and incorporating them into Delhi Sultanate by claiming an annual tribute. However after the death of Ramchandra in 1311, his son Singhana refused to accept Khalji supremacy and thus in 1313, Malik Kafur once again marched to Devagiri; Singhana was killed and the Yadava capital was annexed in the Khalji dominions and coins were minted with Ala-ud-din's name on them. In 1315, Kafur handed over the administration to Ain-ul-Mulk and returned to Delhi to attend the Sultan in his last days. Thus, the three rulers of the South including Ramchandra Yadava, Prataprudra Kakatiya and Hoysala. Ballala III were reduced to vassalage and the Khalji army reached the Pandyan kingdom. The ' Amir Khusrau, Khazain-ul-futuh (English Trans.) Muhammad Habib, in K. A. Nizami (ed.) Politics and Society During the Early Medieval Period (New Delhi, 1981), vol. 2, pp ; Muhammad Habib and K. A. Nizami (eds.). Comprehensive History of India (New Delhi, 1982), vol. 5, pp

6 acquired wealth enabled Ala-ud-din to resist Mongol invasions and carrying out administrative and economic reforms. Ala-ud-din got the two things he wanted from the South: an acknowledgement of his over-lordship and maximum treasures with minimum loss of life, while his far-sighted policy of non-annexation enabled Kafur to lead successful campaigns into the Deccan. On the accession of Qutb-ud-din Mubarak Khalji (r ) Harpala Deva, son in law of Ramchandra Deva occupied Devagiri and proclaimed himself as king. In 1318, Mubarak Khalji decided to reconquer Devagiri and marched along-with his favourite Khusrau Khan. Harpala Deva was captured and killed and Devagiri was finally annexed in the Khalji Empire. He celebrated his victory by issuing silver coins from Devagiri which he renamed Qutbabad. At the same time, Prataprudra of Warangal purchased peace by paying a large tribute.^ Soon after his return, Khusrau Khan was again ordered to march to Deccan to quell the revolt cif Malik Yaklakhi, who had been appointed governor of the newly constituted province of Deccan with Devagiri as the headquarters. He had adopted the title of Shams-uddin Mahmud and minted coins in his own name.^ After quelling his H. K. Sherwani and P. M. Joshi (eds), History of Medieval Deccan, vol. 1, p. 51. ' Ibid., vol. 1, p

7 revolt, Ain-ul-Mulk was appointed as governor of Deccan by Khusrau Khan. Thereafter, he raided the port towns of MasuHpatnam and MotupaUi and acquired elephants, gold and valuables. On his return to Delhi, he murdered Qutb-ud-din Mubarak and ascended the throne with the title of Nasir-ud-din Khusrau Shah.' His ignominious reign came to an end within four months^ and the Tughlaqs under Sultan Ghiyas-ud-din came to power in During this period of political convulsions, the rulers of South tried to regain their lost territories and Prataprudra of Warangal recovered the territory ceded to Khusrau Khan and at Devagiri, Ballala III withheld the payment of annual tribute." Thus once Ghiyas-ud-din had set the administrative machinery, he thought of restoring his authority in the outlying parts of the empire. In 1321, Ulugh Khan (later Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq) was sent against the Kakatiya ruler of Warangal, Prataprudradeva. The siege went on for a long time, Ulugh Khan refused to agree for peace, but due to unrest among some imperial officers, it was decided to retreat to Devagiri. The conspirators were severely punished and fresh recruitments were sent from Delhi with orders to complete the conquest. In the siege that '" Yahya Sirhindi, Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi (English Trans.) K. K. Basu (Baroda, 1932), pp " Abul Qasim Ferishta, Tarikh-i-Fahshta (English Trans.), vol. 1, pp

8 1 0 followed, Prataprudra sued for peace and gave up the fort. Telingana became a part of Delhi sultanate and Ulugh Khan made arrangements for its administration. The campaigns of Gutti, Kunt and Maabar were a continuation of this campaign and in 1323, Madurai, the capital of Pandya kingdom was conquered. With these conquests, the Tughlaq Empire reached its greatest extent. In 1324, Ulugh Khan marched from Warangal to Jajnagar (Orissa) tci chastise Bhanudeva II (r ) who had earlier given support to Prataprudra. The battle was won after much bloodshed and the Sultan conferred a robe of honour on Ulugh Khan for his successes in Deccan. Deccan's subjugation was however shortlived. Being far from Delhi, it was practically difficult to rule over such a vast territory. There were a series of rebellions during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq (r ). The first was from his cousin Baha-ud-din Gurshasp in 1325, who was in chai-ge of Sagar. When the armies marched against him he fled to the kingdom of Kampila, an independent territory. This gave the Tughlaqs an excuse to march and occupy the kingdom. Baha-ud-din further fled to the west into the Hoysala territory, but Ballala III fearing the Tughlaq wrath handed '^ibid. 61

9 him over.'"' It was in this campaign that Harihara and Bukka were taken captives and sent to Delhi. They were treated well and were later sent to Kampila to crush a rebellion and were made in-charge of that region. They later laid the foundations of the Vijayanagar Kingdom. The revolt of Gurshasp led Muhammad bin Tughlaq to realise the urgent need of having a strong administrative centre in the South and he therefore conceived of a plan to make Devagiri a second administrative centre and its name was changed to Daulatabad.''* Although in its remote conseque;nces, the experiment was a remarkable success as it broke the barriers which separated the North from the South and extended the cultural institutions of the North to the distant region. The emergence of a considerable Muslim population became possible because of this. Nevertheless Muhammad bin Tughlaq failed in his attempt to stabilise the region. Coastal Andhra became free in 1325 and western Andhra in Madurai '^ Ibid., vol. 1, p. 241; Isami, Futuh-us-salatin (English Trans.), vol. 3, pp ; Abdul Jabbar Malkapuri, Tazkirah-i-salatin-i-Dakkan (Hyderabad, 1328 AH), vol. 1, p. 44. ''' Abul Qasim Ferishta, Tarlkh-i-Ferishta (English Trans.), vol. 1, pp. lax-l'm. Muhammad bin Tughlaq renamed the city as Devagiri in 1327 from irs earlier name of Qutbabad. He also renamed it as Qubbat-ul-lslam (Sanctuary of Islam) for some time before changing it to Daulatabad in Although the contemporary writers use the name Df.'vagiri continually, its name was changed by the sultans as is evident from the coins. P. L. Gupta, Coinage', in H. K. Sherwani and P. M. Joshi, History of Medieval Deccan, vol. 2, p Daulatabad was known as the second capital alongwith Delhi to Arab geographers. Mahdi Husain, Tughlaq Dynasty (Calcutta, 1963), p For the various reasons given by contemporary historians see, Muhammad Habib and K. A. Nizami (eds.), A Comprehensive History of India, vol. 5, pp

10 also broke off in 133: In 1335, Warangal was lost and its governor Malik Maqbul was ousted. In 1336, Harihara and Bukka founded an independent state in the Kampila territory, later known as Vijaynagar kingdom. The last years of Sultan's reign were spent in dealing with the rebellions of the amiran-i-sadah^^ which finally led to the creation of Bahmani kingdom. On hearing of the rumoured death of the Sultan, Malik Hoshang with the help of amiran-i-sadah decided to set up an independent principality. On the arrival of Imperial army, Hoshang fled to Konkan and Qutlugh Khan was appointed as governor of Daulatabad. Under his governorship, there were two successive revolts, one of Nusrat Khan in Bidar in 1338 and of Ali Adil Shah at Gulbarga.'^ These revolts convinced the Sultan that there was something wrong about Deccan administration and his nobles whom he considered faithful and loyal became the cause of trouble and insurrections especially those of Madurai, Warangal and Vijayanagar. He therefore thought of creating a new nobility which was to include 'men of meaner parentage but who were under his thumb, and appointed them '^ The term was originally used in the army structure of the Turks which was planned on the decimal system. These officers performed both civil and military functions. "" Isami, Futiih us salatin (English Trans.), vol. 3, pp

11 1 7 to high offices in his far-flung empire,' Qutlugh Khan was recalled which created great unrest among the amiran-i-sadah, who now rose in rebellion under the leadership of Ismail Mukh, an Afghan nobleman. They defeated the army sent to crush the rebellion and declared Deccan an independent kingdom. Ismail Mukh became the king of the newly founded kingdom and Hasan, one of his favourites, played a key role in defeating the attempts of Muhammad bin Tughlaq to re-conquer Deccan was given the title of Zafar Khan. Seeing the rising prestige of Zafar Khan, Ismail relinquished the throne in his favour who was proclaimed as King in 1347 at Daulatabad with the title of Abu al Muzaffar Ala-ud-din Bahman Shah.'^ This marked the birth of Bahmani kingdom, which continued for about two centuries as an independent power. B. The Bahmani Period ( AD) 1 8 Ala-ud-din Bahman Shah's ambition was to sit in the seat of the Tughlaqs but he was dissuaded by his able minister and father-in-law H. K. Sherwani and P. M. Joshi (eds.), History of Medieval Deccan, vol. 1, p "ibid., vol.1, pp ''' Isami, Fiitiih-m-salatin (English Trans.), vol. 3, p He adopted the title of Alauddin in honour of the Sultan who was the patron of the whole clan. Isami calls the whole clan 'Zafar Khani and Khalji born'. Regarding his early life, different versions have been given by historians. Abul Qasim Ferishta, Tarikh-i-Ferishta (English Trans.), vol. 2, p. 179; According to Ferishta, he was the servant of Gangu, a Brahmin of Delhi. See Ibid., vol.2, pp It is reported that Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya too has. prophesized his kingship. When he went to meet him outside his khanqah, the Shaikh called him and said to his di.sciples, 'One King is going and another king is coming'. Abdul Jabbar Malkapuri, Tazkirah-i-Salatin-i-Dakkan, vol. 1, pp Tabatabai, Biirhan-i-Masir [TieM, 1936), p

12 Saif-ud-din Ghori. He was advised to subdue the recalcitrant regions of the Deccan not to go into the territories of Tughlaqs straightaway. Husain Gurshasp was sent to Kotgir and Qandhar; Razi-ud-din Qutbul Mulk to Maram, Mahendri and Akkalkot; Qir Khan to Kalyani, Sikandar Khan to Bidar and Malkher. All these initial campaigns were successful and the conquered people -v^ere given amnesty. Ferishta writes, ' Ala-ud-din Hasan., as well by wise policy as by force of arms, towards the end of the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq, subdued every part of the Deccan previously subject to the throne of Delhi and gained over by conciliatory measures the Afghans, Mughal and Rajput officers of Delhi government, holding possessions of Bidar and Qandhar which were delivered into his hands.'^' When insurrections broke out at Sagar and Madhol, he pardoned its chiefs but the territory was taken over and whole of the territoiy of Mudhol was assigned as a royal jagir. He also invited Shaikh Ayn-ud-din Bijapuri, profusely awarded him and requested him to stay for sometime so that people might feel secure under his rule. The only serious uprising under his rule was by Qir Khan (Malik Maqbul) at Kalyani who was captured ^ H. K. Sherwani, The Bahmanis of the Deccan (New Delhi, 1985), p. 38; Abdul Jabbar Malkapuri, Tazkirah-i-salatm-i-Dakkan,\o\. 1, pp ^' Abul Qasim Ferishta, Tarikh-i-Fehshta (English Trans.), vol. 2, pp ^" Isami, Futuh us salatin (English Trans.) describes the campaign in detail, vol. 3, pp " Shaikh Ainuddin was a great Sufi master who was born in Delhi in 1307 and died in Bijapur in His tomb was built by Mahmud Gawan. See Abdul Jabbar Malkapuri, Tazkirah-i-auliya-i- Dakkan (Hyderabad, nd), vol. 1, p

13 and beheaded. It was a lesson for his other nobles. After this uprising, the king returned to Gulbarga, which was renamed Ahsanabad and became the capital of Bahmanis.^"* Ala-ud-din divided his kingdom into four divisions: a) Ahsanabad/Gulbarga with Raichur and Mudgal under the charge of his able minister Malik Saif-ud-din Ghori; b) Daulatabad with Bir, Junar and Chaul under the charge of his nephew Muhammad bin Ali Shah; c) Berar and Mahur were to be governed by Safdar Khan Sistani; d) Indur, Kaulas and Bahmani Telangana were placed under Azam-i-Humayun, son of Malik Saif-ud-din Ghori. (i) The reign of Muhammad Shah Bahmani I ( ) Ala-ud-din Bahman Shah was succeeded by his eldest son Muhammad Shah in While Bahman Shah had left the Kingdom politically well-knit, it was Muhammad Shah who organised the state affairs. He appointed Saif-ud-din Ghori as the wakil, a position which he retained till the end of his life. Muhammad Shah divided his kingdom into four atrafe or provinces which were centred round Daulatabad, Berar, Bidar and Gulbarga and were to be governed by Musnad-i-Ali, Majlis-i-Ali, Azam-i-Humayun and Malik Naib '" For Qir Khan's rebellion, see Isami, Futuh us salatin (English Trans.), vol. 3, pp Isami does not mention the change of the capital from Daulatabad to Gulbarga, thus the event may have been after 1350 when Futuh-us-salatin was completed. See, Mahdi Husain, introduction', The Rise and Fall of Muhammad bin Tughluq (London, 1938), pp. xiv-xvi. 66

14 respectively. The taraf of Gulbarga was the most important one which included Bijapur and was given to the confidant of the king. The chief political rival of Bahmani Kingdom was the Vijayanagar Kingdom, founded in 1336 by Harihara and Bukka. The bone of contention was the Krishna-Tunga.bhadra Doab. The virtual ultimatums for the cession of Doab and Kaulas by Vijayanagar and Telingana rulers respectively became the immediate occasion for conflict. As Fersihta notes, 'Vijayanagar and Telingana demanded restitution of the territories wrested by his father, threatening in case of refusal, not only to invade his country, but to draw upon him the army of the King of Delhi.'^^ Near Kaulas, the army of Telingana was defeated and its ruler Kapaya Nayaka had to pay one lakh huns to the King. In 1362, the new ruler of Telingana, sought help of Firoz Shah Tughlaq in invading Bahmani kingdom and promised in return to become his vassal. Muhammad Shah ordered an immediate attack on Telingana and before any help could arrive, the Nayak had to accept all the conditions imposed by the Bahmani Sultan along with the ^^Abul Qasim Ferishta, Tarikh-i-Ferishta (English Trans.) vol.2, p. 184; H. K. Sherwani and P. M. Joshi (eds.), History of Medieval Deccan, vol. 1, p ^"^ Harihara was appointed governor of Kampila by Muhammad bin Tughlaq in Sometime before 1336, he revolted, reconverted to Hinduism and asserted his independence. Four dynasties ruled at different periods: The Sangams ( ), t!ie Saluvas ( ), the Taluvas ( ), the Aravidus ( ). " Abul Qasim Fersihta, Tarikh-i-Ferishta (English Trans.), vol. 2, p ^'lbid.,pp. 185,

15 cession of the town of Golconda with 'its dependencies'. The famous Turquoise Throne was also presented to the Sultan. The charge of Golconda was given to Azam-i-Humayun and for the first time it became a part of the Bahmani Sultanate. After settling accounts with Telingana, he turned his attention towards Vijayanagar. Mudgal was recaptured by Bahmanis and Bukka's forces were completely routed near Siraguppa in When the Bahmanis reached the city of Vijayanagar, BukJca wisely made peace. It is reported that before embarking this campaign, Prince Mujahid sent one-fifth of the war boot/ from Palampet to his religious preceptor Shaikh Siraj-ud-din Junaidi, to be distributed among the poor and asking them to pray for his success. While in Vijayanagar, he heard of the revolt of Bahram Khan, the governor of Daulatabad in 1366, who had allied with some chieftains of Berar and Baglana and with Maratha chief Kumbh Deva. Apart from the revolt of Bahram Khan, the last days of Muhammad Shah passed peacefiilly. ^ ^ Ibid., pp ^ Ibid., p For the first time canons and fire-arms were used in the siege of Adoni and according to Tuhfat-us-salatin, 2000 elephants, 300 gui carriages and 700 Arabian horses and one jewelled throne was included in the booty that was ca )tured and rest was left for the officers and soldiers.

16 (ii) A Period of Flux ( ) The death of Muhammad Shah in 1375 was followed by a period of flux and in the next two decades five different rulers ascended the throne of Bahmani Kingdom. A development of this period which needs to be noted was the influx of foreigners or afaqis, (gharibs) and their opposition by dakhanis who included the colonists from the north and the Abyssinians or habshis. There was also a growing influence of Persian culture. The short reign of Mujahid Shah (r ) was spent in wars against Vijayanagar. He wrote to Bukka Raya that Tungabhadra should be fixed as a frontier between them, to which Bukka replied that Raichur and Mudgal originally belonged to Vijayanagar and therefore should be handed over. This reply made Mujahid invade Vijayanagar with a huge army. But Vijayanagar proved a worthy opponent and he had to retreat towards Adoni. However, Mujahid became a victim of conspiracies and was murdered by Daud Khan, his cousin, in 1378, who declared himself as the Sultan.^' However, the same year Daud Khan was also murdered by a partisan of the late King, who now placed Muhammad Shah Bahmani II on the throne. He was at peace with Vijayanagar, apart from minor clashes " Ibid., vol. 2, p

17 and paid more attention tov/ards consolidation of his kingdom. He was himself a great patron of art and literature, proficient in Persian and Arabic and was called 'Aristotle of the Deccanis' for his learning and wisdom/^ Muhammad Shah II died in 1397 and on his deathbed he nominated his eldest son Ghiyas-ud-din as his successor. Ghiyas-ud-din distributed high offices to the afaqis which was not liked by the old nobility and the Turkish factions led by Taghalchin, who was himself a Turkish manumitted slave, who planned the removal of Ghiyas-uddin and got him blinded and imprisoned. This was also the first instance where we notice the party system, the bane of Bahmani history, hardening.^'^ Taghalchin placed Shams-ud-din Bahmani (r. 1397), Ghiyas-ud-din's step brother, on the throne with the title of Daud II and himself became the Malik Naib and Mir Jumla of the Kingdom. The Deccani politics took a turn when Firoz and Ahmad, the brother-in-laws of Ghiyas-ud-din, sent a message to Daud II that they were loyal to the throne but did not accept a person who treacherously killed the late king. On getting an unfavourable reply, they allied with the faction ^^ S. K. Sinha, Medieval History of the Deccan (Hyderabad, 1964), p. 51. " H. K. Sherwani and P. M. Joshi (eds.). History of Medieval Deccan, vol. 1, p

18 which was opposed to Taghalchin, raarched to Gulbarga, killed Taghalchin and blinded Daud II. (Hi) The reign offiroz Shah Bahmani ( ) He was one of the most learned sovereigns of Deccan and all credit should be given to his preceptor Mir FazuUah Inju, who had been appointed as his mentor during his childhood. Inju was given the post of wakil-us-sultanate with the title of Malik Naib.^'* Firoz was well versed in Quranic learning, jurisprudence, natural sciences, philosophy, geometry and other branches of knowledge. He knew many Indian languages and conversed with the ladies of the harem in their own languages. He also invited men of learning from abroad to come and settle in Deccan and often mingled with poets and men of letters after his royal duties were over. The reign offiroz saw a further influx of Newcomers and intensified the antagonism of the local population. To counteract this development, he began leaning in favour of Hindus, especially Brahmans."^^ His reign also witnessed the revival of the struggle against Vijayanagar which had ceased for some time. In 1399, soon ''' Abul Qasim Fersihta, Tarikh-i-Ferishta (English Trans.), vol. 2, p ^-Ibid., pp ^^ He also married Hindu ladies such as the daughter of Devraya of Vijayanagar and made Hindus like Narsingh of Kherla amirs of his kingdom. 71

19 after suppressing the rebellion of Siddhu, the chief of Sagar, Firoz learnt that Prince Bukka (later Bukka II) had crossed the Tungabhadra into the Raichur Doab and Telingana which were Bahmani possessions. Firoz marched with his army and chased the Vijayanagar forces out of the region. His success enhanced his prestige and strength. A treaty was signed that Sultan would free all prisoners and leave Vijayanagar, while Harihara II, would pay 10 lac huns to the royal treasury. Faulad Khan was made the governor or Raichur Doab. Next, Firoz turned his attention towards the rebel chief Narsingh of Kherla who laid down his arms and agreed to pay tribute. The Sultan restored his position and made him an amir of the Kingdom. In 1404, Harihara II died and Vijayanagar was involved in a civil war between Virupaksha and Elukka, Devaraya's son. The civil war lasted for two years and the throne finally went to Devaraya I in 1406.^^ His accession was followed by another Vijayanagar invasion into Raichur Doab but the governor Faulad Khan defeated the invading armies and they had to sue for peace. Firoz dictated his own terms and the Raya had to pay a large indemnity, had to agree to marry his daughter to Firoz and had to cede Bankapur as dowry. But the peace was short " Sewell and Aiyangar, Historical Inscriptions of South India (Madras, 1932), pp ; H. K. Sherwani and P. M. Joshi, (eds.) History of Medieval Deccan, vol. 1, p

20 lived. The Vemas sided with Firoz in the siege of Rajahmundry, but the fort could not be subdued and Firoz instead invaded Orissa and defeated the Raja. Soon news reached him that Velamas had joined hands with Devaraya I v/ho now ga\'e a serious set-back to the Bahmani forces. FazluUah Inju was killed and with great difficulty, the Bahmanis were able to retain the Raichur Doab. Another development of this period was the estrangement of relations between the Sultan and the Chishti Sufi, Saiyid Gesudaraz who had arrived at Gulbarga in While Firoz had given the royal paraphernalia to his son Hasan Khan in 1415, Gesudaraz had prophesied in favour of Ahmad, the King's brother and a regular attendant at his khanqah.'^^ Ain-ul-Mulk and Nizam-ul-Mulk'*' poisoned the years of Firoz against the increasing popularity of Ahmad and started contriving against him. Khalaf Khan, a dealer of horses from Arabia persuaded him to fight for the throne of Gulbarga. The ensuing battle was lost by the roya) army. Ahmad marched to the capital, received homage wherever he stopped. Firoz accepted his ^^ Abul Qasim Ferishta, Tarikh-i-Fenshta (English Trans.), vol. 2, pp " Burhan-i-Masir, pp * Firoz sent a message asking the Chishti saint to leave the city saying that his presence is a source of noises of visitors at the khanqah. Gesu Daraz left a couple of miles away where his magnificent mausoleum presently stands built by his murid Ahmad Shah. Ibid.; Gesu Daraz lived till 1422, a few weeks after Ahmad's accession. " Hoshiar and Bedar, the two manumitted slaves from the Mahur campaign. 73

21 accession and gave his sword to him and made him sit on the 42 Turquoise throne. (iv) The reign of Shahab-ud-din Ahmad I ( ) The accession of Ahmad I corresponded with the death of Firoz and Saiyid Gesudaraz. The new King, in order to extricate himself from intrigues decided to change the capital from Gulbarga to Bidar, a place more centrally located. The change of capital also meant a change in the very character of the Kingdom. Rule of primogeniture was implemented and thus the Bidar period was more peaceful with no cases of regicide.'*^ Khalaf Khan was appointed wakil us sultanate and was given the honorific title ofmalik ut tujjar. His reign also saw an influx of afaqis, with the advent of Shah Khalilullah, the son of Shah Nimatullah Kirmani and the founder of NimatuUahi Sufi order in the Deccan. Before the arrival of Kirmani family, Shah Nurullah, a grandson of Shah Nimatullah had arrived at Bidar and was greatly favoured by Ahmad I.'*'* Shah Habibullah, brother of Shah Nurullah rose to distinction and was made military " Tabatabai, Burhan-i-Masir, pp " ' Various dates have been given for the transfer of capital, in the inscription of Soiah Khamba masjid within Bidar fort the date is The author of Burhan-i-Masir gives the date as June 1424 on the basis of the last coin minted at Gulbarga is dated 827 AH, p. 54. Also see, Abdul Wali Khan, Bahmani Coins in the Andhra Pradesh Governement Museum (Hyderabad), 78 ff. '''' Abul Qasim Ferishta, Tarikh-i-Ferishta (English Trans.), vol. 2, p The place where he was received by King's deputation was called Nimatabad, in honour of the great saint. Ahmad favoured him to the extent of marrying his own daughter to him. Tabatabai, Burhan-i-Masir, p

22 commander and was married to the grand-daughter of the Sultan. The district of Beer was given to him and it continued to be in their family.''^ With a growing influx from Persia, the Shia doctrine was further strengthened in Deccan. To avenge the defeat of his brother at the hands of Devaraya, Ahmad set out with a formidable force against Vijayanagar where Vijaya I was ruling in assistance with his son Devaraya IL The Bahmani forces chased the Vijayanagar forces to their capital and Ahmad I dictated his own terms and made them pay all the arrears.'^^ After defeating Vijayanagar, he turned his attention to the north. Being an ambitious ruler, he also wanted to sit on the throne of Delhi and for the purpose he had to confront the kingdoms of Malwa and Gujarat, from where he feared trouble. In , he left for Mahur, where the chief had rebelled and for many months they carried on guerrilla warfare in the hilly regions. Finally in the third campaign, the Mahur territory was subdued.'*'' Next came the turn of Malwa, where Hoshang Shah had the support of Narsingh of Kherla. In the ensuing ""^ The mausoleum outside the town of Beer has the tombs of these saints. For his valour and mihtary excellence he got the title of 'Ghazi'. Abul Qasim Ferishta, Tarikh-i-Ferishta (English Trans.) vol. 2, p One of King's daughters was also married to Shah Habibullah, which further strengthened the influence of Kirmani family. "'Ibid., p "' The accounts of Ferishta and Tabatabai are confusing. All that can be concluded is that after months of siege, the Bahmanis finally subdued Elichpur, Gawil and Narnala. 75

23 battle, Ahmad had to retreat initially, but once in the Bahmani territory, he gave a crushing defeat to the Malwa forces. In order to make his position secure, he married his son Ala-ud-din with the daughter of Nasir Khan Faruqi of Khandesh, which could serve as a buffer between him and Malwa and Gujarat. Around 1429, a quarrel broke out between Ahmad Shah of Gujarat and Hoshang Shah of Malwa, in which the Bahmanis sided with Hoshang. However, the army of Gujarat proved too strong and Bahmani forces were defeated. During this campaign, the internal conflict between dakhnis and afaqis took a heavy toll. The dakhnis poisoned the ears of the Prince against afaqis and at the same time they themselves refused to participate in actual fighting. The Gujarat forces taking advantage of the situation gave a heavy blow to Bahmani army. In the treaty, Beul was restored to Gujarat and each side retained its possessions. The continuous setback to Bahmani armies had its repercussions in Telingana also and in 1433 he moved with a large army acquiring many forts. The ruler of Waranga], Singa III submitted without fighting and was restored in his possessions. Ahmad appointed his eldest son Zafar Khan as heir apparent and divided his kingdom Ibid., pp ; Tabatabai, Burhan-i-Masir, pp

24 among his sons as governors, taking a promise that they will never oppose one another/^ (v) The reign of Ala-ud-din Ahmad II ( ) The influence of afaqis was evident at the time of coronation of Ahmad II in He v/as flanked by Saiyid Khalilullah and Saiyid Hanif and he appointed Dilawar Khan Afghani as his wakil and Khwaja-i-Jahan Astarabadi as his wazir.^^ The Sultan had to lead a number of military campaigns against Vijayanagar, Telingana, Gujarat, Malwa and Khandesh. War with Vijayanagar began in 1436 on the issue of arrears of tribute. Ahmad II sent his brother Muhammad and the amir-ul-umara Imadul-Mulk. The campaign was quick arid the Raya agreed to pay gave them 8 Lac huns, 20 elephants and 200 dancing girls besides valuable gifts. It was only a decade later i.e. in , that Ahmad II tried to take advantage of the dynastic unrest at Vijayanagar and ordered the collection of arrears of tribute. Th(j Raya captured Mudgal and advanced to the banks of river Krishna, but was eventually forced to purchase peace by negotiating and paying the remaining tribute.^' '*'' H. K. Sherwani and P. M. Joshi (eds.), History of Medieval Deccan, vol. 1, p ^ Abul Qasim Ferishta, Tarikh-i-Ferishta (English Tans.), vol. 2, p '' Ibid., pp ; Tabatabai, Burhan-i-Masir, p

25 In 1437, Ahmad II had to engage with the combined forces of Gujarat, Khandesh and Malwa and the Bahmani situation was weakened further by the growing differences between the dakhnis, and afaqis. However, Khalaf Khan fought hard and completely routed the allied forces. Khalaf Khan was received with pleasure by the Sultan and it was decided that the afaqis will be on the right side of the throne and the dakhnis and habshis on the lefi-side. From then onwards the distinction became even more permanent. This growing discomfort between the two groups became more clearly evident in 1447 during the Chakan campaign, which mad(j Ahmad II favourable to the afaqis and made one of them, Qasim Beg as malik-ut-tujjar and sarlashkar of Daulatabad and deposed dakhnis from all places. The futile war with Khandesh, Gujarat and Malwa and the dakhniafaqi affair of Chakan showed the weak mind of the Sultan and strenuous campaigns took a heavy toll on his health. Ahmad II died of a malignant wound in 1458 and was succeeded by Ala-ud-din Humayun (r ) whose short reign saw a widening rift between the afaqis and dakhnis. " See for details, H. K. Sherwani and P. M. Joshi (eds.), History of Medieval Deccan, vol. 1, pp

26 (vi) Political developments between Immediately on his accession, Humayun showed favours to the afaqis by making Mahmud Gawan his wazir, malik-ut-tujjar, governor of Bijapur, wakil-us-sultanate and the virtual Commander-in-chief of the army. Humayun's reign was a difficult one as it was marred by frequent revolts and conspiracies for acquiring the throne. His attention was drawn towards the Velamas, who had assisted Sikandar (Humayun's cousin) in his rebellion. But Linga, the chief of Velamas backed by Kapileshwara of Orissa defeated the Bahmani army, captured Warangal and made Rajachal as its headquarters. Another rebellion was started by Prince Hasan Khan and Habibullah Kirmani who were against Humayun's accession and had the support of afaqis. They were defeated at Bir trying to escape to Vijayanagar.^^ Humayun was succeeded by his minor son Nizam Shah with the title of Nizam-ud-din Ahmad III. Humayun had nominated a Council of regency consisting of Khwaja-i-Jahan Turk, Mahmud Gawan and dowager queen Makhduma-i-Jahan.^'* In a short reign of two years, nothing much was done, though his reign started with a general " Abul Qasim Ferishta, Tarikh-i-Fehshla (English Trans.), vol. 2, pp ^' Ibid., pp

27 amnesty to all who were imprisoned by his father. His reign was occupied in fighting wars imposed by Kapileshwar of Orissa and Mahmud Khalji of Malwa.^^ (vii) The reign of Muhammad Shah III ( ) The sudden death of Nizam Shah in 1463 led to the accession of Muhammad Shah III. In 1466 ended the triumvirate (formed in 1461) when Khwaja-i-Jahan Turk was murdered because of suspicious behaviour.^^ His reign marks the ascendancey of Mahmud Gawan who became the wazir, was given the title of Khwaja-i-jahan and had the authority over all matters."'' Mahmud Gawan was probably the most efficient officer of the Bahmani period. He maintained a bala.nce in distributing offices and governorships to both afaqis and dakhnis. Malik Hasan Nizam-ul- Mulk was made sarlashkar of Telingana, Fathullah was made sarlashkar of Berar, Yusuf Adil, a Turkish noble was deputed as sarlashkar of Daulatabad, Junair and Chakan and he himself retained " Tabatabai, Burhan-i-Masir, pp Kapileshwar marched to Bidar demanding tribute from the minor icing. He was completely defeated by Khwaja-i-Jahan Turk who extracted a heavy indemnity of war. The onslaught of Mahmud Khalji was a more serious one. The battle fought at Qandhar went in favour of Mahmud Khalji who went on to besiege Bidar. It was Mahmud Gawan who saved the Bahmanis by inviting Sultan Mahmud of Gujarat, which forced Mahmud Khalji to withdraw. In 1462, when Mahmud Khalji once again attacked Daulatabad, it was Mahmud of Gujarat who came to the rescue forcing the invaders to withdraw. For details, see H. K. Sherwani and P. M. Joshi (eds.). History of Medieval Deccan,vo\.\, pp ^'Ibid., p " Abul Qasim Ferishta, Tarikh-i-Ferishta (English Trans.), vol. 2, p

28 the charge of Bijapur. He also tried to win the sympathies of the Hindu population and at his suggestion the Bahmanis joined hands with Vijayanagar against Kapileshwar of Orissa. Tensions reappeared between Malwa the Bahmanis over the claim of Mahmud Khalji on Elichpur and Mahur. In the siege of Elichpur in 1466, the Bahmanis were defeated but the fort could not be subdued and Malwese forces had to retreat to Kherla. The next year, Nizam-ulmulk led the Bahmanis against Kherla which was captured after a severe battle. By a treaty, Kherla was handed to Malwa and in return Berar was included into Bahmani Kingdom. Another victory was gained in 1470, when Bahmanis along with the Vijayanagar forces invaded Orissa and placed Hamvira on the throne. When the northern and eastern frontiers of the Kingdom had been rectified, Mahmud turned his attention lowards the western coast and Konkan. His attention was drawn towards two local chiefs, the Raja of Khelna and of Sangameshwar. In a series of campaigns beginning in 1470, Mahmud Gawan pacified the entire region. From his base at Kolhapur, Gawan catured the forts of Hubli, Raingna, Machal, Bulwara, Miriad, Nagar and Sangameshwar. Finally in 1472, Goa a protectorate of Vijayanagar was captured. Gawan returned to the

29 capital after three years of continuous campaign and was given royal welcome and Goa and Kolhapur were added to his Bijapur charge. The Bahmani Kingdom now extended from sea to sea, touching the borders of Khandesh in the north, the line of Tungabhadra in the south, Goa in the south-west and Orissa in the north-east. The four atrafs of Muhammad I were now subdivided into eight sarlashkars\{\^s and Gawan divided the newly created provinces among both the dakhni and afaqi sections of the ruling aristocracy. There were subsequent revolts in the ea.stern regions and the Sultan had to take army against Orissa and Vijayanagar which resulted in his victories. However, in 1481, Mahmud Gawan fell prey to a conspiracy eg ^ and was beheaded at the orders of the Sultan. With his death, the Bahmani Kingdom began disintegrating and Muhammad Shah III also died the very next year. ^^ Ibid., vol. 2, pp ; Tabatabai, Burhan-i-Masir, p Full details of the farman can be read in Burhan-i-Masir, pp See also, H. K. Slierwani, The Bahmanis of the Deccan, p A number of chronograms were composed on the death of the great Bahmani wazir. The Sultan went to the extent of ordering Nizamuddin Ahmad Gilani to plunder his private property and enquired about his wealth. Tarikh-i-Ferishta, vol. 2, p The treasurer pleaded and informed the King that he possessed only two treasuries- Treasury of the King and Treasury of the poor. The former contained royal horses, elephants, 1000 laris and 3000 huns, while the other belonged to the Khwaja and contained 300 laris. He also informed the Sultan that he brought 40,000 laris with him and invested in trade and commerce and it was out of the income that he spent. The King being embarrassed and he regretted and repented. The coffin of Gawan was sent to Bidar and Prince Mahmud was ordered to follow it till there. Tarikh-i-Ferishta, vol. 2, p

30 The period of disintegration of the Bahmani Kingdom ( ) The long reign of Shahab-ud-din Mahmud (r ) was marked by disintegration of Bahmani Kingdom. The King being a minor, a triumvirate was formed comprising Nizam-ul-Mulk as Malik Naib, Imad-ul-Mulk as wazir and amir jumla and the Queen Mother as President of the Council. The whole arrangement worked for quite some time but as the King began to listen to unscrupulous persons the atmosphere at the capital began changing fast. Imad-ul-Mulk left for his governorship of Berar and avoided involvement in the politics at the capital. Nizam-ul-Mulk, the leader of dakhnis was killed in a conspiracy and the aggrieved dakhnis conspired to kill the Sultan. In 1487 they entered the fort but failed in their attempt, instead the King now ordered a general massacre of dakhni element in the city, which went on for 3 days. The period also saw the rise of Qasirn Barid and Malik Ahmad (Nizam-ul-mulk's son). Qasim forced Mahmud to accept him as wakil at Bidar. Malik Ahmad adopted the title of Nizam-ul-Mulk, occupied forts of Bir, Shivagaon and Mahur, which were later confirmed by the Sultan as his jagirs. When he fell from royal favour he refused to give up his jagirs, extricated his family from Bidar in 1481, and scored a 83

31 decisive victory in 1490 over Balimani forces which led to the foundation of the city of Ahmadnagar which served as the capital of Nizam Shahis till its conquest by the Mughals. A successful campaign was launched in 1494 led by Qutb-ul-Mulk (the progenitor of Qutb Shahis) against the kotwal of Goa, Bahadur Gilani, a strong opponent who had even humbled the King of Gujarat and had attempted to set up an independent principality of his own. ^^ In 1495, Qutb-ul-Mulk was appointed as Governor of Telingana and he was able to exercise effective control over Warangal, Rajakonda, Dewarkonda and Kovilkonda. With the accession of Krishna Deva Raya in 1509, Vijayanagar embarked on campaigns in all directions occupied Mudgal, Raichur, Udaygiri and Kondavidu followed by capturing of Vinukonda, Rajahmundry, Nalgonda and Khammamet, thus cutting off both Orissa and Bahmanis from the east coast. Meanwhile, struggle for power began at Bidar in which Qasim Barid was the main target. But within a decade, Qasim Barid at Bidar, Fathullah Imad-ul Mulk at Elichpur, Yusuf Adil Khan at Bijapur and Ahmad Nizam-ul-Mulk at Ahmadnagar died and were succeeded by their sons, Ali Barid, Alauddin, Ismail Adil and Burhan respectively. ^' Tabatabai, Burhan-i-Masir, pp

32 The reign of Mahmud witnessed a downward trend in the authority of central government and old party alignments gave way to a race for autonomy. In the midst of this turmoil, Sultan Mahmud also died in An important event of his reign was the occupation of Goa by the Portuguese in With the influx of the Persians into the Deccan and their direct influence at the court the Shiite doctrines also spread. With the accession of Ahmad III in 1518, the tarafdars of Bahmani kingdom became virtually independent, although theoretically Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Berar and Telingana were all part of the Kingdom. Amir Barid confined the new King within the four walls of the palace. Although Amir Barid had designs to usurp the throne, he allowed Ala-ud-din Shah II to be crowned as the new King in 1520 and after three years. Sultan Mahmud's younger son Waliullah was put on the tottering throne by Amir Barid. In 1526, Kalimullah was put on throne and the same year when Babur got a decisive victory at Panipat, the rulers of Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Berar and Burhanpur sent envoys to congratulate him. Kalimullah too wrote of his distress and offered Berar and Daulatabad. The news leaked and he had to escape to his uncle Ismail Adil Shah of Bijapur and then to Nizam Burhan 85

33 Shah at Ahmadabad where he was warmly welcomed. He resided there till his death and was buried in Bidar.^ With his death also ended the Bahmani rule and Deccan was divided into five kingdoms namely, the Adil Shahis of Bijapur, the Qutb Shahis of Golconda, the Imad Shahis of Berar, the Nizam Shahis of Ahmadnagar, and the Barid Shahis of Bidar.^' '''' Abul Qasim Ferishta, Tarikh-i-Ferishta (English Trans.), vol. 2, pp ^^ Ibid,, p Beni Prasad, History ofjahangir, p